This month I want to talk about standing our ground by standing strong, not hiding in fear. The world’s chaotic at the moment. What used to seem stable now seems to be very random. Relationships are breaking down, alliances are breaking down, countries are attacking countries, and there seems to be no end to the madness.

And that’s frightening.

The cost of living is going up. Fuel is now in dangerous supply. How many more things do we have to contend with and still function? And that’s what this is about.

You know, standing strong isn’t about pretending that there’s nothing wrong. It’s not about telling yourself everything will be ok tomorrow, or this is meant to be. All of those things may be true but they don’t help us in the moment when we need to hold steady and not become overruled by fear.

And if we’re also dealing with personal challenges at the same time, it can seem too much. So really, the best thing we can do in these circumstances is to stay grounded, is to take time to be clear about what is our truth.

What do we stand for individually? What are our values? Even if those values may not align with other people’s, even if our truth may not be popular in some camps. What matters is that in acknowledging who we are and how we feel, we anchor ourselves in the midst of the chaos and therefore any choices or decisions we make come from within who we are. Come from the confidence of remembering what’s important to us. Because then we can think clearly. We can see clearly. We’re not blinded by fear. We’re not trying to be what everybody expects us to be.

And with that clarity comes the ability to be open-hearted, to be there for other people, whether they agree with us or not. And to stand in thankfulness that we are able in times of challenge to find our strength and to share that strength with those around us.

Where are you standing right now?